Strong Enough (7 page)

“You didn’t answer my question. What IS hard
work to you?”

“Ok, I get it. I’m talking Cardio, weights,
core training. Getting your body to its top condition, you know
hard work.” His head tilted to the right and a big grin broke out
across his face as he looked at me.
Ok
seriously, is he flirting or not? This is bugging me. Since when
can I not tell? Oh yeah, since always!

“Eh that’s nothing, I could do it, just
don’t want to, other things are more important I guess.”

“Tell you what, why don’t you meet me at the
gym for a short workout and we can go from there?” He was smiling
from ear to ear.

“Oh yeah, and why would I meet you up there?
I could hire a trainer or something like that.”

Reaching his hand out for me to shake it, I
did. “Well then you’re in luck, I’m a trainer and you just became
my project. Name is Sterling Scott and it is a pleasure to meet
you.”
Ok that HAS to be him flirting right? Ugh
this is so exhausting.

“Well Sterling Scott, Reece Miller and I
accept your project but you don’t know what you have just taken
on.”

Eyes gleaming. “Oh I’m looking forward to
finding out.”

OK, that HAD to be
flirting.
Right?

W
ho am
I kidding? This was a really, really bad idea. It was his eyes,
yep! That’s my story and I’m convinced. They had me under a spell
or something. No way in my right mind would I agree to put on
spandex and smash my twins in a sports bra, let alone work out in a
gym where people can see me and say God knows what about me. Good
lord what I have done?

Standing in front of the full length mirror
that stood propped up against the wall in my bedroom, I take note
of myself. Swiveling from side to side eyeing myself in the mirror,
I proceed to do what every woman in front of a mirror does. Lifting
my shirt up to show my stomach I suck in, turn to the right, view,
turn to the left, view and then let out a breath and see what it
really looks like. Pinching here, poking there, I now think this
gym idea is way past due.
When did I get
fat?

Pulling out the scale from my closet, I
placed it on the dark walnut wood scraped floor of my bedroom. I
can’t remember how long it’s been since I have stepped on a scale,
I take a deep breath and lift my right foot and step on.
Ugh, I don’t want to see
. My hands
rush to cover my face and eyes. My fingers spread apart from over
my eyes and I bravely glance down at the number staring back at me.
WHAT THE FUCK! When did, how in the world, why
didn’t I notice? I mean sure I bought a size, or two up on jeans
but damn!

I don’t know if I can say the current
feeling is disbelief, anger, shame, embarrassment or questioning.
What I do know is that I feel less and less like I want to go to
the gym and instead want to crawl into bed and never eat again.
Great, just another thing I need to fix about me. With a feeling of
dejection, I step off the scale and looked at myself again in the
mirror. I don’t feel fat. I never thought I looked fat. Sure I’m
not a skinny girl, never have been, but I never saw myself as fat.
I am trying to calculate how much weight I have gained, but I’m
having a hard time remembering the last time I looked at my
weight.

I’ve been in school for five years now, I
guess the freshman fifteen of course hit me and because life hates
me it decided to double. It is shocking to me how I never noticed.
I guess when someone tells you “you carry your weight well” that is
an indication that there is “extra” weight.

Turning around I start to pull these thigh
and ass hugging spandex off just as I hear my cell phone chime.

Sterling S: Meet you at the front of the gym in
15min

Me: Ummmmm not gonna make it

Sterling S: Why?

Me: cuz

Sterling S: WHY?

Me: why do you care? Just leave it alone

Sterling S: No Reece, you said you were gonna do
this so get your ass up here

Me: I don’t want to

Sterling S: What happened?

Me: Please drop it

Sterling S: Reece, i’ll drop it if you meet me for
ONE workout

Contemplating how to answer and if I wanted to
answer I stand there phone in hand biting on my thumb nail. I know
I agreed to this…

Me: FINE, i’ll be there in 15min

Sterling S: good see u in a bit

Throwing my phone on my bed, I stood there arms
crossed over my chest, a little irritated that I gave in so
quickly. Realizing that I just need to suck it up and get it over
with, I grab the awful spandex workout Capris and squeeze back into
them. Walking through my apartment, I grab a hair tie sitting on
the table, a water from the fridge and my purse.

I step outside of my little apartment into
the bright and blistering Texas sun.
Thank God
for air conditioning, it’s hot as hell out here.
Taking
the stairs quickly I hit the bottom landing and head to my car.

As I walk to my car, I remember when I first
bought it. When dad died, he made sure to list in his will that
$40,000 be given to me solely for buying a new car when I went to
college. He didn’t want me to drive a used car because he wouldn’t
be there to work on it. My mom couldn’t believe that I had that
much money to use for a car, she actually was really upset about
it. I have never been a materialistic person. I had been driving my
dad’s old Honda Accord when I got my license at 16. I drove that
car until the maintenance started to become expensive and that’s
when I did what dad wanted. I went out and bought a brand new
Nissan 370Z. Pretty black on black and a killer sound system. I’ve
had it for four years now and it still looks brand new. It is the
only thing I own.

Opening the door and sliding in, I breathe
in the smell of the leather to remind me of dad. Not because he
smelled like leather but more because it was him that made this car
possible. Just another thing to keep me connected with him. Windows
down, sunroof up, and music playing loudly, I back out and head
toward the gym.

Minutes later I pull into a spot toward the
back of the parking lot in clear view of the door.
Well let’s get this over with.
Grabbing my stuff I
head toward the front doors. The minute I step inside the smell of
rubber and cleaning solution fill my nose. Walking up to the
counter I am greeted by a dark haired girl that seemed to be
bouncing with energy.
Great little miss happy
at the front desk
.

“Hi, can I help you?”

“Um, I’m supposed to meet Sterling here?” I
said with question, what if he didn’t really work here.

“Oh sure, you must be Reece, my name is
Candice,” she said with hand outstretched.

“Hi,” I say with a slight smile and shook
her hand.

“I just need you to fill out a short
liability waiver before you guys get started.”

“Yeah sure, wouldn’t want to put liability
on anyone,” I said with a chuckle. Companies are so quick to say
not my fault don’t sue me
now a
days.

I sign the form and give her a copy of my
ID. Walking around the counter she gestures for me to follow.

“I just wanted to show you around a little,
answer any questions you might have then you and Sterling can get
started. So Reece, do you normally work out?”

Obviously she is not
looking at me or is too polite to say what she really
thinks.

“Um yeah no. Haven’t been in a gym since
freshman year. Not even sure how he got me to agree to this to be
honest.”

Chuckling, she says, “Yeah, he has a way
with girls doesn’t surprise me you agreed.”

“What does that mean? What way with
girls
?”

“Oh you know, he’s hot, girls seem to do
whatever he wants them to. Think that’s why the owner put him in
charge of recruitment for the new MMA Program.”

I’m feeling a little uncomfortable. I guess
the idea that he was flirting with me was a little silly. I know
better.
Guys want one thing and when they find
out I don’t give that away freely they hit the door as quickly as
they came through it.

Stopping with hands on my hips. “Can I ask
you how you knew my name was Reece?”

Candice turned around with a big smile on
her face said, “He told me to watch out for you because you were
special.” She quickly turned back around to continue the tour
talking a mile a minute.
This girl has got to
be on something I can barely keep up.

Standing in the middle of the gym, I am
watching her walking and talking to herself as I try and dissect
what she just said. I’m special? What does that mean? Special as in
I matter more than someone else or special as in Special Ed?

It was at this point that Candice must have
noticed I wasn’t behind her. Being lost in my thoughts I didn’t
notice her bop right up in front of my face.

“You ok Reece? You look like you are lost or
something.”

I’m sure the look on my face was complete
confusion. “Yeah, I am just um trying to figure some things out,
you threw me off with your answer. I’m good, where were we?”

“I was just about to show you the sauna but
here comes Sterling so I’ll let him finish.”

My body tenses, and I stand straight as a
board when she says he was coming. His hand rested on my shoulder
and I jump a little. “Oh sorry Reece didn’t mean to startle you,”
he said as he left his hand on my shoulder but walked around to
face me. “Oh sorry, didn’t expect you that’s all.” Shrugging a bit
till his hand got the message and left my shoulder. His touch
lingered behind.

He looks at me for a minute unsure of what
to say. I can tell he is contemplating his next move. Letting out a
short breath he shook his head ever so slightly and continued, “Ok
well let’s get this show on the road, what do you say?”

“Please, I’m ready to go home already and
all I have seen is the entrance and a few studios.”

“You really don’t want to be here do you? I
mean I know you aren’t excited to workout but you
really
don’t want to be here with me, right now.”
His look was serious, as if I am offending him.

“Look Sterling, I said I would do this, you
managed to get me here. Can we please just get this done?”

His hands went to his hips as he shifted
most of his weight to his left leg. “Yep, let’s get going, maybe I
can still convince you that the gym, and maybe myself, are not
bad.”

Don’t hold your breath on
that one big guy. I know what you’re about.

I nod and give a curt smile.

“Ok well, let’s start with Cardio and work
our way out from there. I would like to give you a feel for what
it’s like to work full body in one session.” His tone was seductive
and his eyes went a little dreamy on me.

Walking onto the floor is overwhelming. I
scan my surroundings and see guys are lifting large amounts of
weights, grunting, and standing around flexing. I feel like I am
intruding on their male bonding time. It doesn’t take long to
notice I am the only female on the floor. I note the looks being
sent my way which makes me very uncomfortable.

Heading toward the back of the gym through a
set of double doors, we enter what could only be dubbed the cardio
room. Rows of treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical, row
machines and stair climbers fill the room. There are a few people
in there but not many. We head toward the treadmills.

“Ok, so let’s start you out on the
treadmill. We will do a ten minute warm up then get into the grunt
of the cardio.”

Hmmmm grunt? What the hell
am I going to be grunting about. It’s walking… how hard can that
be?

I soon learn never to question how hard
walking can be. Sterling has discovered that even though I don’t
work out I have a pretty low heart rate which he stated means he
has to push me harder to get my heart rate up. Why he needs it up,
I don’t ask. At this point, I am afraid to ask him anything in fear
that it will cause him to want to punish me more. Seriously, this
is punishment. He’s got to be pissed about my comment and that’s
why he’s trying to kill me.

“Ok Reece, warm up is over, let’s take you
on a little jog,” he said as his hand went to increase my speed.
Slapping his hand away from the controls he looks at me confused.
“I told you Sterling, the only time I run is when I am being
chased. Unless you plan on getting behind me on this treadmill to
chase me, don’t you dare touch that button.”

You know when you say something and then
quickly wish you hadn’t? Well this was one of those moments for me.
His face scrunched a bit but then quickly changed to contemplation
and he broke out the biggest smile I have seen. Before I could
react he jumps behind me and is reaching for the increase speed
button on the treadmill.
Is he serious right
now?
He is close, way too close to my body. Reaching
around my shoulder to the controls has put his head right next to
my neck and almost resting on my shoulder. I breathe in and quickly
wish I hadn’t. He smells of the ocean; clean, crisp, fresh.
DAMMIT!